


Where the Wild Roses Grow

by HannahPelham



Category: Midsomer Murders - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-29 19:57:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18300932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannahPelham/pseuds/HannahPelham
Summary: Charlie meets John and Sarah's niece Rosie. He is smitten.





	Where the Wild Roses Grow

DS Charlie Nelson was surprised to see an unfamiliar woman tending to the roses in the Barnabys’ front garden. He smiled politely at her as he walked past, surprised to find her to be intensely beautiful. Mousy brown hair, curled neatly and pulled back with a headband, old gingham shirt tucked into dark green corduroy trousers about 4 sizes too big, pulled tight with a hefty belt. A wax jacket hung on a garden fork shoved hastily into the ground as a coat hook as the sun got higher and higher in the sky. Charlie swore he’d never seen somebody so beautiful, even if she had mud smeared across her cheeks. 

 

His heart leapt when she smiled back at him. 

 

“Hello. You must be DS Nelson. Sarah said you’d be over” She said, brushing her hands off on her trousers so she could shake his. 

 

“I’m Charlie Nelson alright. I didn’t know the Barnabys’ had a gardener” He replied, shaking her hand. 

 

“I’m John’s niece, Rosie, now Betty’s here they haven’t really got the time” She explained. Charlie smiled. 

 

“Rosie. How appropriate. Rosie Barnaby?” He said, gesturing to the roses. 

 

“That’s me” She beamed. She was obviously proud to be a Barnaby. 

 

“Well, I must be getting on, but it was lovely to meet you Rosie Barnaby”

 

“And you Charlie Nelson” Rosie said, waving as he walked towards his car with her uncle in tow. Rosie spent the rest of her morning tending to the Barnabys’ garden, thinking of Charlie. Little did she know, of course, that Charlie spent the whole morning investigating a murder, thinking of her. 

 

That evening, Rosie found herself sat at the Barnabys’ breakfast bar with Charlie. Sarah was cooking, John was bouncing around the kitchen with Betty in his arms, and she and Charlie were sat there drinking wine having been banished from helping. 

 

“How was your day?” Rosie asked, sipping her wine and looking over at the Detective Sergeant. Her gaze passed his brilliant blue eyes, noble nose, and down to his lips. She wanted nothing more than to lean in and-

 

“As good as investigating a murder can be” Charlie replied, his eyes meeting hers. “How was yours?”

 

Rosie glanced at the clock, and then over to her aunt. 

 

“How long until dinner, Auntie Sarah?” She asked, looking over at her aunt and uncle, cooing over their baby daughter. 

 

“About half an hour, why?” Sarah replied. 

 

“Just wondering if I had enough time to show Charlie the roses I planted out back today” 

 

“Rosie, you’re nearly 30, you don’t need to ask permission to do things” John laughed, looking over at his niece with nothing except affection. 

 

“I know, I know, I just didn’t want to make dinner late, that’s all” Rosie explained, taking Charlie’s hand, dragging him out to the back garden. 

 

Charlie and Rosie wandered around the Barnabys’ garden, checking every now and then whether John and Sarah were watching from the window. The minute she noticed they weren’t, Rosie leant up and pressed her lips to Charlie’s. Much to her delight, his arms were around her waist before she could get hers around his neck, pulling her up close to him. Soon hands were roaming. Before it could get any more heated, there was a cough from behind them. John.

 

“Dinner in 5” he said, smirking as he walked back to the house. Rosie looked up at Charlie, who looked at her with such affection in his eyes she thought she might cry. 

 

All the way through dinner, Charlie and Rosie couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. They sat opposite each other, and both would feel a bolt of electricity every time their legs brushed. The tension and anticipation was palpable in the room. 

 

After dinner, Betty was put to bed, and John and Sarah gave Charlie and Rosie some space. They didn’t know what was about to occur, but they were fairly sure they didn’t want to see it. 

 

Rosie sat nervously on the sofa. Now they were on their own, on their own terms, the fear started to kick in. Did he really like her? Or was he just humouring her earlier when she kissed him? Her nerves quickly dissipated when Charlie walked through from the kitchen holding two glasses of wine, the top few buttons on his shirt undone. He handed her a glass.

 

“Thank you, Charlie” She whispered, taking a sip of wine. 

 

“You are very welcome, love” Charlie replied, taking the glass back so he could place it down on the coffee table. He leant over, and kissed her gently. Rosie melted into Charlie’s arms, feeling more at home there than she ever had. She soon felt herself moving onto his lap, arms thrown haphazardly around his neck. They stayed there for god knows how long, getting closer and closer to Charlie. 

 

The next morning, Charlie and Rosie woke up on the sofa to Sarah making a cup of tea. Charlie, whose shirt had ended up thrown across the room, lay on the sofa with Rosie draped over him. She stirred briefly, tightening her grip around his waist. Sarah handed him a mug of tea and smiled. 

 

“You like her then?” Sarah whispered as she grabbed another couple of mugs for her and John. 

 

“I do. A lot.” Charlie replied, looking down at the girl in his arms with nothing except love in his eyes. 


End file.
